Hunter Lawrence Takes First 450 Pro Motocross Win

Hunter Lawrence claims his first career 450 Pro Motocross overall win with 2-2 finishes at Ironman Raceway, as Jo Shimoda takes second in 250s and Jett Lawrence rebounds for a moto win.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel for instant updates!

The AMA Pro Motocross Championship roared back into action after a two-week break with Round 9 at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana. It proved to be a milestone day for Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence, who claimed his first career 450 class overall win thanks to a pair of consistent second-place finishes. In the 250 class, teammate Jo Shimoda also delivered a strong showing with 2-2 moto scores for second overall, while series leader Jett Lawrence overcame a first-moto penalty to win the second race and salvage sixth overall.

Hunter’s Consistency Pays Off

In the opening 450 moto, Hunter Lawrence started in second and seized the lead by lap 6. He controlled the race until Chase Sexton made a pass with three laps remaining, leaving Hunter to settle for second. Meanwhile, Jett Lawrence suffered a disastrous start after officials deemed he jumped early and hit the gate. Forced to charge from outside the top 20, Jett climbed to third by lap 11, but a post-race penalty for the start infraction dropped him to 17th.

Moto 2 saw Hunter grab another second-place start and take the lead by the end of lap 1. Jett, bouncing back from his earlier misfortune, moved past his brother on lap 2 and never looked back. A small tip-over on lap 5 dropped Hunter to fourth, but he quickly recovered to retake second with four laps to go. The Lawrence brothers crossed the line 1-2, with Jett taking the win and Hunter clinching the overall victory on 2-2 scores.

Shimoda Strong in 250s

In the 250 class, Jo Shimoda rocketed to the moto-1 holeshot and held a comfortable lead for much of the race. He was eventually passed by Haiden Deegan but still finished nearly 50 seconds ahead of third. In Moto 2, Shimoda started fourth and moved into second early, shadowing Deegan to the finish. His pair of runner-up results earned him second overall on the day, keeping him firmly in the championship fight.

Championship Outlook

Jett Lawrence retains a 47-point lead over Hunter in the 450 standings, with two rounds remaining. In the 250 class, Shimoda sits second, 51 points behind the leader. The series now heads to Unadilla MX in New Berlin, New York, on August 16 for the penultimate round of the season.